The HabForum

What does everyone think of the changes in the camper books. I was taking a look at mine over break and am amazed at all the changes (mostly thining) that has happened over the last 5 years. I hear that the really old books used to be the Throttle Up book.

I think they did it to save money. Nobody ever used it, anyway. I used mine to take notes (like to remind myself to join Hab1!).

Well, Space Camp keeps drawing back on funds, I'm surprised campers still get any sort of book at all. When I went back to work Christmas camp in December, my kids didn't get books. The new ones are similar to the Astrotrek books. They don't have a lot of good stuff in them. Most kids lose their books, anyway.

The books change as stuff changes in the museum anyway.

Wait! You mean, besides cutting back from the really large spiral books to the smaller spiral books, they've gotten even more lean?!

I have an Astrotrek book as well and, while I'm sure it's fine for a 2 day pseudo-camp, I doubt you could put enough in it for 5 or 6 days!

That's a shame...

...I mean, while I didn't like when they went to the smaller books, they were easier for people to carry around and use while at camp, while I found the large book much more useful away from camp...though the year they switched to the smaller books, they gave out the larger ones too!

The new books have no spiral rings and no color, except for the cover. Their pretty crummy, if you ask me. But, oh well. I'm willing to put up with it to save Space Camp.

From what i saw on an old p[romotional vidoe they use to give campers a 3 riong binder type of book. Then they went to the large spiral note book which is what i had my first 2 years of camp. At AC we had a small pocket checklist but i figured it was just because they fit in the aircraft sims better. Then i went To ASA and was given another small spiral notebook. And i've heard they have gotten smaller and cheaper since.

when i went in 96 and 97 they had those small spiral books... now in2002 they have those pamphlets.... i really dont like them... i think the kids will simply think less of them... did they used to have real books.../notebooks... like spacecamp the movie?

Yeah...I always forget about the 3-ring binders they used to give out...and I own one!

In the lower left corner of the photo you can see one:

what were they? were they good or bad... did they have a lot (obviously i have no info on them at all...

They were essentially the same as what's in the larger spiral bound books...lots of info on space history and the space programs...etc.

I think they should make books for like asa where it would be helpful to the campers... like in spacecamp when katharen is studying... no i don't think any camper going there would stay in their bunk studying but if it had things to look over like a mock script for the pilot/cmd or how to use the arm or info items on how each job works like in real life and at camp... those they don't have to give to the campers... they could like collect them when their done with them...

The older large spiral notebooks had alot of great info. Ofcourse at Camp and Academy you dont really need the info like described above. And i've never seen the old Academy Level 2 books but the old camp and academy books had info on all kinds of topics crew systems, astronomy, history, simulators, astronaut training, the shuttle, space stations, mission info on previous space flights, and listings of all astronauts.

they don't give away the "Throttle Up" books anymore... now their on cd but they are available in the book store and online for purchase and true the pamphlets for ASA do have things like panal diagrams but i mean it could be much more useful.. due to weather... our team had a lot of unexpected downtime... (although jenn and i didnt' mind but thats another story...)

AA still gets nice books, but they don't have spirals. No one has spirals now! What happened to spirals! Wah!

Well hopefully if space camps financial sittuation improves they can go back to the better quality materials.

I think I have seen that exhibit before...

What exhibit is that?

I am glad to hear that I am not the only one who misses the old books.

But despite popular belief, some campers, namely me, would read those manuals and take notes in them. The new ones are impossible to use and are just boring.

LB206 wrote:What exhibit is that?

The picture is of the display Wes set up last year for Space Camp's 20th!

D'oh! i should have known that guess id forgottewn about the above picture.